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Peabody softball player invited to play internationally despite lack of high school team

By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff Writer

Peabody-Burns doesn’t have a softball team, but freshman pitcher Skylre Stucky is managing to excel in the sport anyway.

Instead of playing for a high school team, Skylre spends her summers as a member of the Wichita Patriots travel-league. Her performance has gone so well that she was invited to compete on a national team in the Dominican Republic to promote goodwill between American student-athletes and those from other countries.

“It’ll help me get to know more people, not just the people I have in my little life,” Skylre said. “It just helps me get out there.”

Her general goal is to demonstrate that she deserves a place on the team, but she also tries to get at least one home run over the fence at each tournament. The test for Skylre is focusing on a powerful swing while staying relaxed.

“Most of the time people are telling me to try hitting it out of the park again,” she said. “I just need to relax. The first couple times I’m up to bat, I try too hard, and it doesn’t go the way I want it to.”

She has no problem with power at the plate, smashing five out-of-the-park home runs so far in her travel league career.

Skylre’s mom, Janelle, attends as many of the travel games as possible, and July will be no exception.

“I missed two out-of-the-park home runs because I was working, that’s it,” she said.

Janelle first received a text with details about the trip, she was skeptical of the trustworthiness.

“I looked everybody up on Facebook to make sure,” she said. “It took a lot to actually believe it.”

The trip won’t be until July, but each player has to raise the funds themselves. This is done to make sure the players don’t sacrifice collegiate eligibility by improperly receiving funds.

To raise money for the weeklong trip, the Stuckys are holding a fundraiser 4 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Peabody Legion. The family has plans for a barbeque, as well as a silent auction and entertainment from the Jason Callahan Band.

America’s Team has been running for 20 years, partnered through an American Conference for Irish Studies educational tours team.

While in the D.R., players will interact with locals and work alongside them in everyday life.

America’s Team finds some players through word of mouth, while others are scouted in person, but the selection process goes deeper than the players’ statistics and on-field production.

One of the important standards the team looks for is attitude, Skylre’s dad, CJ Stucky said.

“They want the people who are always giving 110 percent and trying to boost the morale of the other players.

Skylre plays volleyball and basketball for Peabody-Burns, but softball remains her number one sport.

“My whole life is about softball because it’s all I do for sports,” she said. “It will also help me get into college and do what I want to do.”

She has a few years until graduating high school, but Skylre already has her sights set on becoming a police officer or a wildlife forester.

“Watching college girls play and watching college boys play, it seems like the girls have more fun,” he said. “They’re laughing, two totally different aspects watching their attitudes.”